


Pepper

by Iced_Koffi



Series: My Rewritten Old Shit [3]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: An old work rewritten, Dipper's only here in spirit, I was 12, canon divergence s02e04 Sock Opera, cringey kinda romance but not really, he doesn't actually say anything, imagine trying to give a demon a heart, only slightly tho, pls be kind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:27:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28666212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iced_Koffi/pseuds/Iced_Koffi
Summary: He looked so lost in his own world, I couldn't have even begun to guess what to say. I mean, should I have said something? He may look and sound like Dipper, but he was Bill all the same. The disgusting, heartless dream demon trying to take over our world. That's what he was. Did he even deserve consoling?
Relationships: Bill Cipher/Original Female Character(s)
Series: My Rewritten Old Shit [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1591579
Kudos: 2





	Pepper

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Mentions and descriptions of bloody wounds
> 
> Hey, this is another rewritten old work of mine!! It's somehow even more cringe than the others haha. I do think I should probably mention a slight tw for anyone who doesn't like blood. It's not too graphic, I think, but if the mention and description of blood makes you queasy, you might wanna sit this one out. Thank you for reading, hope u enjoy!

"Dipper...?" I thought against saying anything at first, but seeing his body go limp and his eyes turn a sickly yellow, I couldn't leave him. If that even was him. I couldn't tell anymore. He rose slowly, picking up the banged up laptop before throwing it onto the ground and stomping it into pieces. His laughter was joyous, borderline unhinged, as he spoke to a wet spot on the wall. He didn't seem to hear me, so I tried again.

"D-Dipper, what happened? Where's Bill? Are you okay?" He turned to me slowly with unfocused pupils and let out that manic chuckle again. 

"Heya, Baby Doll. How's it going?" He tried snapping a finger gun and leaning against the window sill, but just fell onto the floor like a ragdoll. Slowly, he rose, just as clumsy as when he fell, and attempted to walk to me. On his way over, he bumped into things and tripped over others. I contemplated helping him up, but he seemed to be having a ball making a fool of himself. Eventually, he made it over and leaned flirtatiously against the door frame I stood behind. 

"You got me a drink? Aw, Baby Doll, you shouldn't have." He reached for one of the glasses I held in my hand and very awkwardly wrapped his fingers one by one around the rim, sometimes letting a finger go and forcing it back into place. I knew he was going to drop the glass the moment I'd let go, so I kept it tightly in my hand. I was pretty sure what was happening by now, with how Dipper now called me the same pet name as Bill and how he suddenly can't seem to properly function, but I needed to confirm my suspicions first.

"Um, what happened to Bill? He was just here, wasn't he?" I asked, looking around the room for some sign of the dream demon. There were none, except for my cat-eyed friend in front of me.

"Oh, I gave him the ol' one-two and he went running. You know, manly stuff." He shot a wink at me, but it just looked like his eyelid gave up trying to stay open and fell. 

"Right…" I pushed past him to get into the room and went over to the broken laptop, setting the drinks on the sill as Bill stumbled close behind me, "Why did you break this? We were so close to cracking the code." I asked him. 

He collapsed onto his knees and crawled closer to my bent form before picking up the broken glass of the screen recklessly. "I got pissed and threw a tantrum. Sorry lovely." He cooed the apology in my ear, and it took all my power not to punch him in the face. He probably would've liked it, the freak. 

I stood up to gain distance between the two of us and decided to stop playing whatever game this was. "Bill, I know you took Dipper's body. Whatever it is you want, you can't have it," I grabbed his arm and pulled him onto his feet. He didn't seem so tough inside a human body, "So I suggest you get up and get out." I finished. His lips cracked into a wide, teeth showing smile as he began cackling again. Without much effort, he yanked his arm out of my grasp and spun me around to look at the mirror behind us. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist; the glass in his hand stabbed and cut my side. 

"Look, Pep. We're not too different than before, are we? You pretend like you want nothing to do with me, but deep down you've missed me just as much as I've missed you. Go ahead, say it. Say you've missed me." As he spoke, he walked us closer to the mirror, ignoring my attempts at breaking free. 

When he stopped, we were right in front of the glass, staring at our reflections. I noticed the blood seeping into my shirt from both Bill’s and my cuts. This was crazy. _He_ was crazy. Well, I guess that's something I already knew. 

"Um, Bill? Who's Pep?" I tried to change the subject, but asking that question just seemed to anger him. He spun me around to where I was facing him while pushing me hard against the mirror. I think I heard it crack behind me. His airy, carefree tone was pushed away by a hoarse, violent one.

"Don't play games, Pepper. You know exactly who you are." I could feel his grip on my shoulders tighten with each harsh, ragged breath he took. His yellow, cat eyes dilated into thin slits, and he bore his clenched teeth. It was actually disturbing seeing my friend bare a face I never would’ve imagined he could wear. One of pure despair, anger, _hatred._ Whether that hatred was directed towards me or for himself, I couldn't tell.

He stared into my eyes for a while before slowly calming down. As he relaxed, he began to pet my hair. I almost pulled away, but stayed put, terrified of how he'd react if I did. He cooed soft, loving words to me as his pets got more fervent, more aggressive. He seemed to have forgotten the fact that glass was still sticking out of his hand and ignored how it sliced the sides of my scalp and face. I didn't know what to do, honestly. I mean, what the hell could I do? A fucking demon was petting me like a dog. 

Suddenly, he stopped. Very slowly, he pulled away from me and held out his bloody, cut hand. A small bubble floated above his palm as it formed from thin air, and inside it was a rose. 

"I'm sorry, Pepper. Roses were your favorite right? Or were they the ones you were allergic to?" Bill looked down in thought before simply shrugging and pushing the flower in my face. I had to look away because, coincidentally, I _was_ allergic to roses. I could hear his breath become harsh again until I sneezed, and he immediately calmed down. 

"Oh, so you are allergic." Chuckling, he pulled the flower away, “Why didn’t you just say so?” He squished the bubble between his two palms and conjured up countless bubbles from seemingly nowhere. Inside them all were bouquets of different types of flowers. "Which are your favorite, Pepper?" He asked me, gesturing to all the flowers he summoned. 

"I…" I was at a loss for words. Mostly because I was confused as all hell. Who the fuck was Pepper and why was Bill so obsessed with her? I honestly felt bad for the poor woman who was unfortunate enough to catch this dream demon's eye. Although, yes, I had wondered once or twice if Bill could feel love - since, you know, he's a goddamn demon - that didn't mean I wanted to be the source of it. That didn't mean I wanted to experience it first hand. Was this punishment for my morbid curiosity? If it was, I was never going to wonder anything ever again.

Bill seemed to have mistaken my confusion for awe, and chuckled at my lack of words. "It's okay. I can do good, too, you know. Or at least, what you consider good. The concept of good and bad is still nothing more than a social construct you humans created to determine how to set up rules for those you considered inferior to you, but you know, whatever. I can get behind it." He plucked a random bubble full of daffodils from the bunch and gave it to me, gently cupping my hands and placing it there. The bubble burst upon contact with my skin, and the flowers landed safely into my palms. As terrifying as this all was, I couldn’t help but to be a bit flattered. I think anyone would be if they were given flowers and told sweet nothings. But I couldn’t take these. I couldn’t continue to let him believe that I was his, I don’t know, long lost lover? Just the thought sent nauseous chills down my spine.

"B-Bill, this is all so sweet, but I think you’re mistaking me for someone else. My name is Victoria. You know, Baby Doll? I hang out with Dipper and Mable? Don’t you hate me?" I watched his face turn from confused to angry to hurt to maybe conflicted. 

Now that I thought about it, I don’t think I’d ever seen Bill express more emotions than jovial carelessness when things went his way and anger or irritation when they didn’t. He was always very one-dimensional in that regard, but now, when he couldn’t hide himself so easily, it was clear to see that despite how awful he may be, he was still living. He still wanted things, felt things, thought things, and those things weren’t always self-serving. It was easy to forget that sometimes.

Bill softly sighed and all at once, the bubbles and flowers were gone, even the daffodils in my hands. "No, Baby Doll, I don't despise you. Not you. Tell me, do you believe in reincarnations?" He finally started picking the glass out of his hand, no longer finding whatever pain he felt amusing. I watched how he effortlessly, in an almost bored manner, plucked out bloody shard after bloody shard and threw them carelessly onto the ground.

I had to think about his question seriously, but at the end of the day, I just didn't know the answer. "Um, I've never thought about it." 

He chuckled at my answer, "Pepper did. She would dream about what she called her 'past life' almost every night. A bright girl. A strong girl." His palm was now glass free, and a part of me felt obligated to patch it up. Mostly because that was still Dipper's body even if it was harbouring Bill's mind, so he would feel that later and Bill wouldn’t, but also because he was actually being _open_ about something. That's a big deal considering he never really ever told us anything. And anything could help against someone like him.

So reluctantly - and I repeat, _very reluctantly -_ I led him to the second floor bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit. He kept talking while I disinfected his hand, "She was so bright and so strong, she brought me here to the third dimension. She created the ritual Sixer used to find me in the first place. He thinks he made it, but he didn't." 

I had begun wrapping the cotton around his palm while he continued, "I looked at her and she smiled and said 'Hi. My name is Pepper.' I've never felt anything like that before or after her. You know, that swelling feeling."

As I slowly wrapped his hand, I couldn't for the life of me wrap my head around why Bill would tell me this. He never wanted anyone to understand him or his motives, but now I was suddenly an exception? Logically, it was probably because I looked like her, and he wanted to tell her everything he told me, but still, he knew we weren't friends. We weren't allies in any way shape or form, and Bill was no fool. He knew I, of all people, shouldn't be trusted, but he trusted me anyway. Either that or he was lying, which I don’t put past him. I just had to take everything he said with a bucket of salt.

When I finished fixing his hand, I started patching myself up. Staring at myself in the mirror, I noticed just how badly he'd cut me earlier. There were long, bloody and jagged cuts running from the top of my scalp to my jaw, and some strands of my hair were uneven now. Somehow, the fact the Bill did this to someone he mistook as his lover scared me more than anything. I can only imagine how awful it must've been for the real Pepper. Maybe that was why she wasn't here anymore…

Bill continued his spiel as I shakily disinfected myself, "And she would let me go into her dreams and see what she saw. She'd let me live her past life alongside her, even though she didn't have to." I found it hard to believe she had a choice. "She taught me about this dimension and about this world. The only reason why I'm talking to you is because she taught me your language." 

"Wait, so you only know English? You don't know any other languages?" I asked without thinking since I thought he kinda just knew all languages. I don't even know where that assumption came from, but it made sense to me. With the way he stared at me all nostalgic like, it was almost like I was listening to some old soul reciting memories of their youth. And I guess that was the case; it's just this soul was _evil_ on all accounts. Took away the charming factor.

He laughed softly at my question, "No, I was here long enough to learn all the ridiculous ways you humans spout nonsense. Pepper just taught me how to learn." 

I was almost done now, wrapping the last bandages around my scalp, and as I did, Bill let out this final statement, "She taught me a lot of things, gave me a lot of emotions. Like happiness… and grief." That surprised me… I didn't expect Bill to look so downcast and sound so broken as he finished speaking. 

He looked so lost in his own world, I couldn't have even begun to guess what to say. I mean, _should_ I have said something? He may look and sound like Dipper, but he was Bill all the same. The disgusting, heartless dream demon trying to take over our world. That's what he was. Did he even deserve consoling? 

I decided not to give in to the monster's pitiful state and finished patching my wounds silently. A heavy sigh left his lips before he stood up and left the room. I tried not to watch him go.

Bill went downstairs to the kitchen while I wrapped the last bandage around my head. I followed him to see him looking through the cabinets and drawers silently as another heavy sigh left his nostrils. He seemingly got bored as he couldn’t find whatever he was searching for and started poking himself with sharp things, laughing at the pain they caused. Every now and then, he’d talk to random dust particles floating in the air. And to think, for a second I was convinced he wasn’t so crazy. 

“Hey, Baby Doll,” Bill called as he lightly stabbed his cheek with a steak knife, “You happen to see that journal you like so much around here? I need it for research.” I lied and told him no, I hadn’t seen it, but he didn’t believe me. He shouldn’t have, but I hoped I could’ve fooled him a little. 

Then Mable popped into the kitchen door frame, happy as ever for her play to be made a reality. “Oh, hey Tori!” She happily waved at me before addressing her brother, “Hey Dipper, I’m taking your journal as a prop for the play and was hoping you could be the pastor for the wedding scene. Now I’m leaving before you can process what I just said, bye!” And just like that she was gone. I actually didn’t know she took the journal. Shit.

Bill’s smile stretched Dipper’s face into a comical smile as he happily called his reply after her already absent form. He chuckled maniacally before running over to Wendy and Soos, who were still putting props and set pieces into Soos’ truck. I quickly followed, wanting to warn my friends of Bill’s presence, but Wendy cut us both off, taking in my bandaged face. 

"Whoa, what happened? Did you get in a fight or something?" She gently touched one of the pouches on my cheek, and I hissed and back away. Soos glanced over and commented as well, but I couldn't bring myself to pay much attention to him right now.

"Poor thing had an accident falling down the stairs. But I patched her up, don't worry." Bill threw an arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer, squeezing my neck uncomfortably. 

"Shouldn't we take her to the hospital or something? Would we have time for that?" Soos added, and I was going to scream at him to take me there, but Bill shouted over me. 

" _No!_ _She's fine!_ See?" Bill ignored everyone's shocked expressions and started spinning me around like a toy ballerina. When I was about to fall from dizziness, he pulled me back against his side and let me hold onto him to stay upright. "Now, take us to the show." 

"Okay… We'll give you guys a ride to the theatre. No sweat." Wendy seemed hesitant to open the passenger door to Soos' truck while Soos took the wheel. She sat next to him in the middle and nervously I climbed into my sister's lap to make room for Bill. As the creep sat next to me, he tried to grab my hand.

Before we left, Bill looked out the window and spoke to the air, voice triumphant and mischievous. His words sent a cold shiver down my spine as I finally realized what, or rather who, those fleeting comments at the air were directed towards.

"How can you stop me, _when you don't even exist?"_

I looked at the spot he laughed at, and for a second I swear I could see the glowing face of my friend staring down horrified at his reflection.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thank you for reading! I've been kinda nervous to post my stuff on here, so any feedback would be appreciated. I hope you guys can forgive the inaccuracy of what Bill can do in Dipper's body, but let's pretend he can summon things with bubbles. That's his only superpower for some reason lol. Thank you again for reading! I really appreciate it!! 
> 
> Koffi


End file.
